Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack lives with his Mother on a fledgling bean farm and fills his day with imaginary tales of fantastic adventures to combat the despair and boredom. However one day, forced to trade their beloved family cow for food, Jack meets a mysterious merchant on the way to market and is whisked away on an epic journey of his own! Jack dangles from a monstrous beanstalk miles from the ground, discovers the vast riches of an enormous castle above the clouds and befriends a most unusual individual: A Giant! But when Jack steals the Giant’s most prized possession, a beautiful singing harp, he’s faced with a difficult choice that tests the extent of his courage.

Cast & Crew

Joel Crichton

Jack

Joel is an Edmonton based actor who holds a certificate, diploma, and degree in acting from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Red Deer College, and the University of Alberta, respectively. Past credits include: Death: LIVE!, El Dorado(Surreal SoReal Theatre), Redbird, Stillborn (Downstage Theatre), Old Wicked Songs (Concentration Co-Op), Assassins, Major Barbara (Studio Theatre) and tick, tick...BOOM! (Ignition Theatre). He is also the voice of Diego in the new animated series Scan2Go. Also a playwright and musician, he recently served as composer for Equus at the University of Alberta. You can listen to some of his work as a singer/songwriter at www.myspace.com/joelcrichtonmusic

Deanna Finnman

Costume Designer

Last season Deanna’s costumes for Hansel and Gretel were nominated for a Sterling Award. She is thrilled to be back and working with such a creative and inspiring team. Recent costume design credits include The Pearl Fishers, Lakme, Emperor of Atlantis (Sterling Award Winner) and South Pacific(Sterling Award Winner) all for the Edmonton Opera. She has also designed locally for several theatres including Grant MacEwan College (A Winters Tale), Northern Light Theatre (The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband) and St. Albert Children's Theatre (Cinderella, Wizard of Oz). Deanna also curated The Opera Coat Project, a wearable art exhibit featuring work by herself and 21 contributing artists presented by the Alberta Craft Council.

Tyler Girard

The Strange Merchant/The Giant

Tyler is a recent graduate from Grant MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts Program and is excited to be bursting into the theatre scene with Alberta Opera’s Jack and the Beanstalk. Tyler has played a variety of roles in the past few years, such as George Musgrove in Cy Coleman’s Little Me and The American Admiral in Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures and even the evil stepmother in RibbitREublic’s production of Grimmer than Grimmer than Grim. In the past few years Tyler has had the great fortune of working under some incredible people such as Kenneth Brown, Janet Nichol, Cindy Kerr and Bridget Ryan. Tyler is also very thankful to have had the opportunity to study under Tim Ryan and would like to thank Tim for making him the best performer he can be. Tyler is looking forward to working with such a talented cast and crew. Tyler would also like to urge everyone to think twice before trading their cattle away to a strange man… Unless it’s for something cool… Then he’ll allow it.

Naomi Lagerweij

Stage Manager

Naomi Lagerweij (Nonnie) is a born and bred theater brat from here in Edmonton. She graduated from the BFA: Stage Management program at the University of Alberta this spring. Recent projects include Stage Managing Concrete Theatre's Under Cover which toured local High Schools this Fall. She has also worked as both an Assistant Stage Manager(2010) and Apprentice Stage Manager (2009) for the River City Shakespeare Festival. Opera experience includes Apprentice Stage Managing for the Edmonton Opera's production of Daughter of the Regiment and Stage Managing Die Fledermaus for Opera Nouva in 2008. Her next excitement will be Apprentice Stage Managing for The Citadel's production of August: Osage County.

Daniela Masellis

Lighting Designer

Daniela Masellis is thrilled to be returning once again to work with the lovely and talented team at the Alberta Opera. Daniela is an Edmonton based theatre designer and graduate of The U of A’s Theatre Design Program. Recent credits include Lighting design for last year’s production of Alberta Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, Set and Lighting for Shadow Theatre’s The Dazzle, Lighting for Shadow’s The Science of Disconnection, Lighting for Citadel’s Young Company Putnam County Spelling Bee and While We Were Young, Set and Lighting for Teatro Quindicina’s Everyone Goes to Mitzi’s and Costume Designer for Workshop West’s Seed Savers.

Erik Mortimer

Musician

Erik Mortimer is excited to be entering his first season with the Alberta Opera. He is a graduate of the Grant MacEwan University music program in piano performance (2010). Raised in Rossland BC, Erik has a love for all music and a drive for performing. Erik has experience in the theatre as an actor/pianist/musical director most recently with the Gold Fever Follies in Rossland. Erik currently plays in several groups around the city of Edmonton in many styles including Jazz, Latin, Country, Rock and Gospel music.

Bryan Pollock

Set Designer

Bryan started life as an artist and he continues in this pursuit in spite of his financial advisors. He studied art and life drawing in Winnipeg, California and (when his student visa ran out) Vancouver. He does love working in theatre cause he gets to design really big things with other peoples money. Bryan’s hobbies include staying out of trouble while at sea and sneaking pictures of his friends while their not looking. He is excited to be working with the Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People.

Tatyana Rac

Mother/Ensemble

Tatyana is a recent graduate of the BFA Acting program from the University of Alberta. Her acting credits include Death: LIVE! (Surreal SoReal); Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), The Good Woman of Setzuan, Spine (U of A Studio Theatre); The Changeling, Measure for Measure, Ring Round the Moon, By the Bog of Cats (University of Alberta); her collaborative writing credits include Precursor with Governor General Award winning playwright Kevin Kerr, and Roast the Goose done at Edmonton's NextFest Sololilequies. Tatyana's very excited to be working with Alberta Opera this theatre season!

Farren Timoteo

Artistic Director/Director

Having made his directing debut with a fringe production of Songs for a New World in 2004, Farren became the Artistic Director of Alberta Opera in 2005 and subsequently directed The Frog Prince, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel (The latter two of which he also served as co-author). Other directing credits include Be Arthurs: Reunion Tour (Fringe ’08), Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story (Mayfield Dinner Theatre), Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s and, most recently, The Infinite Shiver (Teatro La Quindicina). Last season Farren, alongside composer extraordinaire Ryan Sigurdson, received a Sterling Award for Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical for Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s, to which he contributed the lyrics. In addition, his direction for Hansel and Gretel was nominated for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in Theatre for Young Audiences. Farren would like to dedicate his work on this production to another adventurous young boy that he knows: His brand new son, Leonardo.

Adam Tsuyoshi Turnbull

Production Manager

adam is a freelance theatre technician + designer, a multimedia + graphic designer, and is currently studying the cello. he likes bicycles, experimenting with user-interface design, and eating sushi. he grew up on a farm.

Jeff Unger

Musical Director and Resident Composer

This season mark’s Jeff’s 17th consecutive year as musical director for Alberta Opera. During this time he has watched the company grow into a major force in Alberta touring and one of Edmonton’s important theatrical voices. Past productions include: Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Puss in Boots, The Red Shoes, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel. Along with collaborators Garner Butler and Farren Timoteo, Jeff has co-authored and composed music for twelve fairy tale “pocket musicals.” Jeff’s work has been recognized by the Elizabeth Sterling Awards on many occasions, acquiring nominations for Outstanding Musical Director for The Frog Prince, Outstanding Artistic Achievement in Theatre for Young Audiences for the Composition of Hansel and Gretel and collected several in Outstanding Production for Young Audiences for his collaborations.